Free A Dose of Murder by Lori Avocato Page A

water for myself. I could take my time eating the salad and sipping on the water for several hours if need be and not have to worry about added pounds.
    The guy in front of me at the cashier turned around.
    â€œSokol? Hey, Pauline Sokol!”
    I looked up. “Eddy? Hi, Eddy.” Eddy Roden and I went to nursing school together along with Tina. I’d heard Eddy had shifted from job to job throughout the years. I knew he’d gotten fired from Saint Greg’s for calling in sick one too many times. He’d gotten thin, had grown one of those foolish clumps of hair below his lower lip, needed a tooth cleaning, and wore navy scrubs. Guess he’d gotten a job in this building.
    â€œYou working here, Pauline?” He paid the cashier and stood there with his tray while I paid for mine.
    Ack. I hadn’t been ready with a lie. “I . . . er . . . no.”
    â€œWhat brings you here?”
    â€œA . . . a friend works here.”
    â€œWhereabouts?”
    Let it go, you jerk. I looked to see Nick watching me. He gave me a look that said to find out what I could. I reminded myself that I was on a case and if anyone who worked in this building knew something, I needed to question them. Now, I needed to turn the questions in Eddy’s direction and not mine.
    â€œOrtho group—”
    â€œNo shit! That’s where I work.”
    My tray slipped. The cup of water flew off, splashing onto Eddy’s white sneakers.
    â€œChrist, Pauline! You’re still klutzy, I see.” He set his tray on a nearby counter.
    I grabbed a handful of napkins and shoved them at him. Klutzy? What nerve! Okay, I was a bit clumsy at times. I was working on it, though. “Sorry, Eddy.” As he wiped his shoes off, I asked, “How long have you been here?”
    â€œCouple months. Sucks.”
    Hmm. “Doesn’t Tina Macaluso work here? Didn’t we go to school—”
    â€œFat, lazy-ass Tina’s old man is one of my bosses. Cocksucker.”
    A smile crossed my face. A disgruntled employee. First ones to sing. Maybe he could inadvertently help with my case. I couldn’t wait to tell Nick.
    â€œSo, what you doing for a living now?”
    â€œI . . . left nursing for a rest”
    He glared at me.
    Damn. That trying-to-lie thing was back. “I’m working at a friend’s uncle’s place. Sorry about the shoes, Eddy,” I hurriedly added, before he could continue on about my job. “I’ll let you go, so your food doesn’t get cold.”
    â€œI’ve got a chef salad, Pauline.”
    â€œOh, yeah. Well, enjoy!” With that I turned and hurried to get myself another glass of water.
    Back at the table I sat, slid Nick’s coffee toward him and opened the plastic wrap that covered my salad.
    â€œWho’s the guy?” Nick asked.
    I was ready to say he wasn’t my type, as if Nick were jealous. Then it dawned on me that I was working. It was still difficult to wrap my brain around the fact that I had flexible hours, traveled around town and could eat a salad at eleven twenty in the morning if I wanted to. Or, in today’s case, as part of my surveillance.
    I leaned closer to Nick. “Eddy Roden. I went to nursing school with him and Tina. Get this, Nick”—I looked around the room as if it were bugged—“Eddy works for Tina’s husband.” I took a sip of water.
    â€œNo shit.”
    I nearly choked on my water. Swallowing quickly, I said, “You knew that?”
    â€œKnew she worked here. Thought we’d see if she was around and find out . . . whatever .” He shrugged. “You have to do your homework in this business, Pauline.”
    My heart thudded inside my chest. Nick looked at me. I think he heard it. “I thought I was only going to get some video or pictures of Tina—”
    â€œWhat better place than her husband’s office—where she also